Chesco lawmaker wants Pa. to tax smokeless tobacco

WEST CHESTER — A Chester County state senator plans to introduce legislation taxing smokeless tobacco in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is the only state without a tax on smokeless tobacco, according to state Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19th Dist.

Dinniman’s proposed bill cites smokeless tobacco as “a product containing finely cut, ground, powdered, blended or leaf tobacco made primarily for individual consumption which is intended to be placed in the oral or nasal cavity and not intended to be smoked.”

That would include chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco and snuff.

Dinniman, of West Whiteland, said a primary benefit of the tax would be to reduce smokeless tobacco use among youth.

According to the intended legislation, the tax would be at a rate of 59.2 percent of the wholesale price, or the price at which a smokeless tobacco manufacturer sells the product to a distributor or wholesaler. The tax would be put on the product sold or held for sale in the commonwealth by a distributor or wholesaler to a retailer or consumer.

The tax rate is the same rate at which the state already taxes cigarettes.

Dinniman said this tax has the added benefit of providing additional funds to the commonwealth for health, education and other essential services. The bill is expected to be formally introduced next week.

According to a 2011 Pennsylvania Youth Survey Report, nearly 24 percent of Pennsylvania high school seniors have used smokeless tobacco, higher than the 17 percent figure for high school seniors nationwide. Additionally the survey found more than 11 percent of Pennsylvania seniors had used smokeless tobacco in the last 30 days compared to 8.3 percent nationally.

“That’s bad news, because we know that young people who use tobacco are more likely to use it as adults and thus less likely to live long, healthy lives,” Dinniman said, in a prepared statement. “Every other state taxes smokeless tobacco along with cigarettes and their children use less smokeless tobacco. It’s time for Pennsylvania to join these other states and to treat these tobacco products equally.”

Smokeless tobacco carries many risks, such as tooth decay, gum disease and cancer of the mouth, according to Mary Sue Manley, a Phoenixville Area High School nurse. It a contributing factor for oral cancer and may play a role in other cancers, heart disease and stroke, she said.

“Smokeless tobacco contains more nicotine than cigarettes, making it that much more addictive,” Manley said. “Taxation is absolutely necessary as one step toward decreasing its use and abuse.”

Diane Phillips, the American Cancer Society’s senior director of state and federal policy for Pennsylvania, released a statement saying: “Smokeless tobacco products appeal to children, are highly addictive and cause cancer and other serious health problems. They are not a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes.”